Seasonal Care · Best Solar Cover
The best solar covers, and why this is the one thing to buy
It is the only accessory on this site that reduces three costs at once. If you buy nothing else from us, buy this.
Heads up: we earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never decides the ranking — here is how we pick and here is the full disclosure. Prices are checked automatically; last verified January 1, 1970.
Quick picks
Segmented before it is ranked — the right answer depends on which of these you actually are. Tap any row for the full write-up.
The cover itself
Buy oversize and trim to fit. Thickness in mil is the spec that decides how many seasons you get.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image Bubble Solar Cover for Above-Ground Pools It cuts evaporation, and evaporation is simultaneously your water bill, your chemical bill and your heat loss. Nothing else on this site reduces three costs at once. | The single highest-return accessory hereSeveral seasons | 9.0out of 10 |
The accessory that decides whether you use it
A cover that takes two people to move gets left off. On a larger pool the reel is what turns owning one into using one.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image Solar Cover Reel for Above-Ground Pools A cover that takes two people and ten minutes to move gets left off. A reel makes it a one-person, one-minute job, which is the difference between owning a cover and using one. | Making sure the cover actually gets usedSeveral seasons | 7.7out of 10 | |
| 2 | No image Outdoor Pool Pump Timer A weatherproof outdoor timer is the highest-return equipment purchase on this site. Most people run the pump too long because remembering to switch it off is a chore. | Cutting the electricity bill without cutting filtrationSeveral seasons | 9.0out of 10 |
The short version
- Evaporation is three costs at once — replacement water, the chemistry that leaves with it, and heat. A cover reduces all three.
- Thickness in mil is the spec that matters. Higher mil, more seasons.
- Bubbles face down. Toward the water. This is the most common installation error.
- It is not a safety cover. It looks solid and will not hold weight.
Why this is the highest-return purchase here
Almost everything you can buy for a pool improves one thing. A solar cover reduces evaporation, and evaporation is simultaneously three lines on your annual bill.
Water. Every gallon that evaporates is a gallon you replace at $6.06 per 1,000 gallons nationally.
Chemistry. Evaporating water leaves, and the top-up water arrives untreated. Every top-up is chlorine and balancer you have to add again.
Heat. Evaporation is the dominant heat-loss mechanism in an open outdoor pool, and it happens mostly overnight when the air is coldest.
No other accessory in this category touches three cost lines at once, which is why it appears in the recommendations of nearly every page on this site.
A cover versus a heater, for warmth
- Electric heater
- 3 kW, 6 h/day, 30 days
- Electricity rate [EIA]
- 18.34 ¢/kWh
- Solar cover
- One-time purchase, no running cost
Heater: 3 × 6 × 30 = 540 kWh × $0.1834 = $99 for ONE month
The heater costs about $99 a month to run; the cover costs nothing to run, ever
What to actually look for
| Spec | What to look for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | Published in mil — 12 or 16 mil common | Higher mil survives more seasons of UV |
| Size | Oversize, then trim to fit | Trimming is easy; a cover that is short is useless |
| Shape | Match round or rectangular | Trimming a round from a rectangle wastes material |
| Orientation | Bubbles face DOWN | Toward the water — the most common install error |
| Handling | Consider a reel over 12ft | A cover that is a chore gets left off |
The three mistakes
Bubbles facing up. The bubbles go against the water. That is what creates the insulating layer and the surface contact that limits evaporation. Upside down it still helps a little, and much less than it should.
Buying exactly the pool size. Buy oversize and trim it to the water line. A cover cut slightly generous sits properly; one that is even marginally short leaves an open ring around the edge, which is where evaporation is fastest.
Leaving it on the ground. A cover dragged onto hot paving and left in the sun degrades far faster than one on the water. This is what a reel solves, and it is why a reel that costs more than the cover can still be the right purchase on a larger pool.
Getting the most out of it
On overnight, always. That is when the temperature differential is largest and evaporation is fastest. If you only use it some of the time, use it at night.
Off while swimming, obviously, and off during heavy chemical treatment so gases can escape.
Rinse and dry before storing at end of season. Chlorine residue on vinyl accelerates UV damage — the same mechanism that kills pool floats, and the same fix.
The picks, in full
Scores are our own reading of published specifications. They are not test results — we have not tested these products and we do not claim to.
Pick #1 · The single highest-return accessory here
Bubble Solar Cover for Above-Ground Pools
Various
It cuts evaporation, and evaporation is simultaneously your water bill, your chemical bill and your heat loss. Nothing else on this site reduces three costs at once.
Key specs
- Construction
- Bubble sheet, thickness published in mil
- Thickness
- Higher mil lasts longer — 12 mil and 16 mil are common
- Fit
- Cut to size; buy oversize and trim
- Orientation
- Bubbles face down, toward the water
How it scoresour reading of published specs, not a test result
- Retention
- 9.0
- Durability
- 7.0
- Handling
- 6.0
- Running cost
- 9.8
- Value
- 9.5
Overall 9.0 / 10
What works
- Reduces evaporation, which is the mechanism behind the water, chemical and heat savings all at once
- Cheap relative to everything it saves
- Can be cut to fit any pool shape, so sizing is forgiving
What doesn't
- Awkward to get on and off without a reel, and awkward is how covers end up unused
- Degrades in UV like every vinyl product
- Not a safety cover and will not support weight — this is important
Skip it if: Being a safety barrier. A solar cover looks solid and is not; a child or pet on it goes through and under.
What it costs to run: The one accessory with a clear payback. Every gallon that does not evaporate is a gallon you do not replace at the EPA WaterSense national average of $6.06 per 1,000 gallons, and it is chlorine you do not re-dose. If you buy one thing from this hub, buy this.
Several seasons: Buy-once. Built and warranted to come back out of the box for a few years, if you store it properly.
Specs from: EPA WaterSense — cost per 1,000 gallons
Pick #2 · Making sure the cover actually gets used
Solar Cover Reel for Above-Ground Pools
Various
A cover that takes two people and ten minutes to move gets left off. A reel makes it a one-person, one-minute job, which is the difference between owning a cover and using one.
Key specs
- Function
- Rolls the solar cover on and off
- Fit
- Must match pool diameter and wall type
- Mounting
- Freestanding or wall-mounted depending on model
How it scoresour reading of published specs, not a test result
- Retention
- 7.0
- Durability
- 7.5
- Handling
- 9.5
- Running cost
- 8.5
- Value
- 7.0
Overall 7.7 / 10
What works
- Turns cover use from a chore into a habit, which is where all the savings actually are
- Keeps the cover off the ground, which is what shortens its life
- One-person operation
What doesn't
- Frequently costs more than the cover it handles
- Takes up permanent space beside the pool
- Sizing must match the pool exactly, and returns are awkward
Skip it if: A small pool. Under about 12 feet the cover is light enough to handle by hand and the reel is a solution to a problem you do not have.
What it costs to run: Only justified on larger pools. The value is not the reel, it is the cover getting used every night instead of most nights — quantify it by how often you would actually bother otherwise.
Several seasons: Buy-once. Built and warranted to come back out of the box for a few years, if you store it properly.
Pick #3 · Cutting the electricity bill without cutting filtration
Outdoor Pool Pump Timer
Various
A weatherproof outdoor timer is the highest-return equipment purchase on this site. Most people run the pump too long because remembering to switch it off is a chore.
Key specs
- Type
- Outdoor-rated mechanical or digital timer
- Required rating
- Must be rated for the pump's amperage and for outdoor use
- Must not defeat
- The pump's GFCI protection
How it scoresour reading of published specs, not a test result
- Running cost
- 9.8
- Value
- 9.5
Overall 9.0 / 10
What works
- Turns your filtration from a guess into a schedule
- Pays for itself within a single season on most pools
- Lets you shift running hours to off-peak if your utility has time-of-use rates
What doesn't
- Must be genuinely outdoor-rated and correctly amperage-matched, which cheap indoor timers are not
- Never bypass or defeat the pump's GFCI to fit one
- Mechanical timers drift and need resetting after a power cut
Skip it if: Fixing an undersized pump. Running the wrong pump on a schedule just makes the schedule longer.
What it costs to run: The arithmetic that justifies it: at the EIA's June 2026 US residential average of 18.34 cents per kWh, trimming a 400 W pump from 12 hours to 8 hours a day across a 120-day season saves 192 kWh, or about $35. That is more than the timer costs.
Several seasons: Buy-once. Built and warranted to come back out of the box for a few years, if you store it properly.
Specs from: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A
Questions people actually ask
Do solar covers really work?
Which way up does a solar cover go?
What thickness solar cover should I buy?
Is a solar cover a safety cover?
Sources
Read next
- Closing, covering and opening againWinterizing, covers and spring opening - the four weeks of the year that decide whether you own a pool next summer.
- How to winterize an above-ground poolThe correct closing sequence, the freeze damage that ends pools, and why a cracked pump housing is entirely preventable.
- What an above-ground pool actually costs to run for a yearElectricity, chemicals, water and consumables for a full season - every input sourced, every calculation shown, and every assumption named.
- Pool heaters, priced by the wattHeater running costs computed at national average rates, and why a cover has to come first for a heater to make any sense.
- First-time pool owner: the complete first monthThe pillar guide: day-one shopping list, the four water readings, the weekly routine and the week-three problem everybody gets.